Five 3A Georgia Playoff Games You NEED To Watch

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The state of Georgia is stacked from top to bottom, which makes the playoffs extremely competitive, but one thing that has been noted through the first week and into the second week of playoffs is how up in the air the 3A division is. The reigning champs, the Calhoun Yellow Jackets remain in the tournament, but there are other teams who may have a better path.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are five games that I believe you NEED to watch, along with one player who could be a game changing factor in each contest.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><mark class="has-inline-color has-primary-color">No. 20 Oconee County vs. No. 4 West Laurens</mark></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Oconee County is one of my underdogs now that they have advanced past the first round, which I knew was going to be a tough game, but I believed the offensive firepower for the Northwest Bruins would show up. While that was still the case, my prediction of the Bruins winning was wrong. Oconee walked away with a huge victory after a game-winning field goal in Tunnel Hill, Georgia. Their matchup is now much tougher, as they play a team that has the chance to go all the way. West Laurens will be the major favorites in this one, but I'm not entirely sold that they walk out with a convincing win. This game is one to watch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1201790"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-691ba70ca7719"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Wood is a running back for the program who really showed out in the game against the Northwest Bruins. It was the rushing attack that was the dagger in the Bruins' playoff run hopes. Although passing had its ups and downs, I believe if they can run the way they did against Northwest, they will be in great shape, and it will be off the back of Wood. Wood is dominant and smart as a whole when it comes to reading the holes provided. Overall, it was arguably the most dominant performance by a running back in the state during week one of the playoffs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><mark class="has-inline-color has-primary-color">No. 11 Douglas vs. No. 6 Calhoun</mark></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The defending state champions are now the 6th seed, but that hasn't stopped them from being one of the favorites. They are one of the favorites in my book, although there are some teams that can give them a run for their money on their side of the bracket. Douglas is their next test, and Douglas has a lot to like in their own sense. That being as they bring a lot to the table. They defeated Gilmer, but not by as much as you expect. Gilmer is a very tricky system, but Douglas still walked away with the win. This game will be a game where Calhoun is the heavy favorite, but this will ultimately come down to how clean each offense can play. This could go either way, even with a single turnover, but all in all, I believe this game is one of the more interesting games in 3A football.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1638560"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-691ba70ca77d5"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Beasley is one of my favorite wide receivers in the North Georgia area, because even though he seems undersized at times, he is almost like a cheat code. He is very fast and has big play ability, which was shown in their game against Lumpkin County. I believe he is one of the better quick-cutting receivers, and he has been a major weapon for [player_tooltip player_id='409989' first='Trace' last='Hawkins'], who I remain a fan of at this time. Hawkins is easily a top QB in the state, and a lot of thanks goes out to the receivers, as even if Hawkins makes a play, the receivers have to hold their part of the deal. Beasley is a two-way player who has real breakout potential in this game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><mark class="has-inline-color has-primary-color">No. 9 Troup County vs. No. 8 Cairo</mark></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is probably the game I am most excited for because of how close this game could be. Cairo started their season 0-2, but found their way back to their expectations by winning the remainder of their games up to this point. They walked away with a win over Liberty in huge fashion. As for Troup County, they only have a single loss on their resume. That lone loss was against Sandy Creek, who is one of my favorite teams in the state. Troup County has a lot of potential in this game, but Cairo is one of their toughest opponents up to date.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["401505"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-691bb34fdfa11"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Edwards had a phenomenal performance in the game on Friday, as he finished the contest with five touchdowns, and was only recorded with one incompletion. A performance like that can beat any team in the state, and he was easily one of the better players with a stat line like that. I believe he can have another very bright performance, and a stat line like that shows that he is someone who can hang even with a smaller frame. I look for him to need to push the ball through some tighter windows in this one, but it will be nice to gauge how he does in arguably the biggest game of the division.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><mark class="has-inline-color has-primary-color">No. 17 Harlem vs. No. 1 Jefferson</mark></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It is easy to call Jefferson the favorite to win state, and rightfully so, but in that same statement, you have to talk about what's ahead. They play a Harlem team that just defeated Heritage, and what seemed to be a tough offense to stop throughout most of the season. This game was one that they had to travel for, and they will be back on the road in this one. This one will be much tougher, but this is a [player_tooltip player_id='1214548' first='Max' last='Brown']-less Jefferson squad, which will need to rely on their other guys. This has been a common trend since Brown got hurt in the season, and they have remained undefeated other than a beating that they took against North Oconee. Jefferson is a top team in the state, and they will look to prove that against Harlem.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1682819"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-691bb34fdfa7d"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Futrell may be a great defensive back, but I believe he will be the key to success for Harlem on the offensive side as well. He has become a great player, and his frame allows him to dominate in ways that some can't. Typically, the bigger you are, the slower you become. That isn't the case for the talented prospect. The talented prospect has one of the better traits when it comes to route running, and he will be a primetime player for Harlem.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><mark class="has-inline-color has-primary-color">No. 12 Peach County vs. No. 5 Jenkins</mark></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This game could be a very competitive matchup, as Peach County and Jenkins go to war. This game is one of the better games when it comes to round two. Jenkins has one of the better teams in the state, but Peach County has become dominate with a huge win over Cherokee Bluff. This one will determine a lot, as either of these teams could make a run in the playoffs, and this could be a huge determining factor. If Peach County wins this it won't be as big of an upset when it comes to the other games, but it would still be a shock in some people's eye. I am very excited for this matchup and you should be too!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1956764"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-691bb34fdfadb"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Barton had an unreal performance against Cherokee Bluff, as he finished the contest with 253 yards on 12 carries. This is an insane amount of yards on 12 carries, as his average would be over 21 yards. This is something that could change the game entirely. I believe if Barton does this again then Peach County will be on the map as one of the teams to beat. Peach County at their best is a state title type of team, but the same can be said for Jenkins.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->